Two: The Approach

Hate to admit it but 'I'm not sure I can get Surly to jump this here fence. My horsemanship as of late has been... suspect. Any other break you all can see in it? We're headed east, right?' Rook lowers his hat and hides his hands under his poncho. No use in getting burnt. 'Should we wait out the hottest part of the day- I hate to go into that hut, but I don't want to stress the horses.'

The hawk gives out a cry.

Fenhari looks in the hawk's direction. "We're leaving, we're leaving,"

Then he turns to the others. "These are desert horses. I think they'll be OK. A child is in danger."

"Lets be about it, then. Only gonna catch a stroke waiting."

‘Sure, let’s move.’

The four foot fence stands before the adventurers, indifferent to their decision to move on.

Rook spurs Surly towards the fence in an attempt to jump it.

Fenhari rides closer to the fence so he can look for an unobvious gate.

Rook gets Surly to circle back in order to give himself the space to get a good run up to the fence, Fenhari begins walking the fence looking for a hidden gate. As the three split directions, the hawk remains with the paladin.

Once Rook has travelled across the clearing in front of the stable he gets Surly to do an easy 180 and takes a look at the distance leading up to the fence. He backs up the horse until he feels he has the space that he needs. Fenhari notices an interesting rock near the fence-line, but once picked up, turns out to be plain. The hawk cocks its head as if asking a question.

Rook gets Surly into a rhythmic canter as the horse runs toward the fence. Fenhari notices a spot about a hundred yards away where a stack of rocks has been wrapped in fencing like a column and integrated into the fence. The hawk, upon seeing Rook coming flaps up and away from the fence as if to give space for the stunt.

Rook gets his body into jumping position and grips the reins tightly. Fenhari notices that the fence post next to the rock column seems to be attached to it by a loop of barbed wire at the top and the bottom, it looks like if you simply unloop the top of the fence post, you could pull it away and open the fence, and in fact he can see in the dirt that this very thing had been done in the past.

Rook pulls on the reigns in attempt to get the horse to jump. As Surly's head is pulled back he notices the fence right in front of him and hits the brakes hard digging in and rising up. refusing to jump.

Xur'Tual eyes the hawk while things unfold then asks loudly. "You seem to have something to say. What's the easiest way for us to continue forward?"

Fenhari rides up to Rook. "You OK? I found a gate near the rock column."

Rook, expecting a jump does his best to hang on, but loses his grip as Surly rears unexpectedly in the wrong direction. Rook is tossed by the horse and propelled into the fence.

’Never been better. Good horse… Rook leads Surly through the gate.

Fenhari guides his horse through the gate behind Rook.

The adventurers make their way through the gate and enter a vast open desert, filled with rocks and brush stretching as far as the eye could see. The scorching sun beats down upon them, and a dry wind whispers through the rugged landscape. There is no sign from here of The Crack in the Ground or New Frederick Road. and there is no clear direct path through the terrain.
There are three landmarks in the distance.
Looking directly ahead of them the group see a nondescript pile of stones seemingly stacked.
To the SE there appears to be a circle of tall gnarled cacti.
off further to the NE is a colossal sand dune. The dune shimmers in the distance under the intense sunlight. It stands out in stark contrast to the surrounding desert, seemingly untouched by the wind and stone that shaped the rest of the landscape.

I vote cacti. Why? No clue…’ Rook says.

"Seems like an unnatural formation. Lead the way."